Article 4/2015 Learning Layers presents the Learning Toolbox Beta version in the International VET conference and on a field visit to Bau-ABC (Rostrup/Bremen 2.9.-3.9.2015)

The Learning Layers partner ITB organised the International Vocational Education and Training (VET) Conference as a key event of a Bremen-based comparative research project. The Learning Layers teams of ITB and Pontydysgu organised a workshop session in which there were presentations on the Learning Layers project, on the Learning Toolbox, on training models and a participative phase with hands-on testing of the Learning Toolbox. The technical developers had produced a Beta version of the Learning Toolbox by the conference. In this context ITB, Pontydysgu and RayCom made firstly a field visit to Bau-ABC.

During the visit in Bau-ABC the visitors presented shortly the functionality of the Beta version of the Learning Toolbox and tested the usability in three trades (carpenters, well-builders, pipeline builders). The Bau-ABC trainers gave exemplary tasks for providing digital content to their apprentices and for giving them electronic access to the content. The visitors provided solutions by creating stacks with special tiles and uploading digitised content via Slideshare.

In the conference the workshop was started with presentations by ITB team members. The first one gave an overview on the Learning Layers project and and the second one insights into the development of the Learning Toolbox. These were followed by a live demonstration on the LTB Beta version that made use of the cases proposed by Bau-ABC trainers (during the field visit) and of the newly created stacks.

After the presentations the audience was split into two working groups. In one group the participants tested the Beta version of the Learning Toolbox. In the other group participants discussed success factors and critical issues of related training models.

On the basis of the field visit the Learning Layers research & development partners had genuine use cases to be presented in the workshop. On the basis of the background presentations, the demonstration and the discussions on the training models the participants had a real chance to give feedback for the project (both on the Beta version and on the training models as possible means for capacity-building).

About pekka

Pekka Kämäräinen is an educational researcher with focus on comparative research in vocational education and training (VET). He started his career as a VET researcher in the University of Tampere, Finland. Between 1994 and 2002 he worked as a Project Manager at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, CEDEFOP. Since 2005 he works at Institut Technik & Bildung (ITB), University of Bremen in international cooperation projects on VET teacher education, training of trainers and innovations in workplace learning.

The Learning Layers project is supported by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme under Grant Agreement #318209, under the DG Information society and Media (E3), unit of Cultural heritage and technology-enhanced learning. Email us at: layers@learning-layer.eu